design – BuildBag -The Netherlands

I love people who think out of the box. They are the innovators of the future. They dare to be and think different. They are driven by a need to expand beyond what the “norm” is and show the world the multiple possibilities that exist in every realm.

Marlon Kratz is one of those trailblazers. I first met Marlon in my favorite town of Taos, NM. It was a chance meeting as I was coming to stay in the condo that he was just leaving. We had a very deep conversation about divorce and life and bonded instantly. He told me about his invention and I wanted to go build these little houses all over the world.

As an interior designer, I am always interested in different building materials and methods. I love BuildBag because it is so flexible. It uses the earth as it’s filler, sort of like adobe without the baking. I haven’t been in one yet but I bet it is the same feeling as being in an adobe. The feeling of the Earth hugging you!

In his own words: I created Buildbag because I am very concerned about the poor living conditions of underprivileged people, and about the environment. I no longer wanted to remain on the sidelines to see if something is going to happen, so I decided to take action.

I am very passionate about the project because as a humanitarian and as a social entrepreneur I’m always looking for solutions that can improve human lives and the environment, with Buildbag I can achieve both goals. In addition, I have experienced myself how it feels to be suddenly homeless when my house burned down years ago. I felt distraught, but fortunately had the opportunity to sleep with family and friends. Poor or displaced people often don’t have that opportunity.

My wish is that the Buildbag building system will be used in many areas worldwide to improve housing conditions the underprivileged. This will increase their self-confidence and significantly increase their self-reliance.